Antibiotics can kill probiotic microorganisms. Probiotics for dogs on antibiotics regimen should be given at twice the usual rate with doses staggered to maximize benefits. Antibiotics may or may not kill the initial invading microorganisms, but they indiscriminately kill beneficial probiotics in dogs. Probiotics help control infections and prevent secondary infections, not in the GIT but by stimulating the immune system. Probiotics benefit our dogs by improving their microbial balance which includes bacteria, yeasts, and fungi that protect against pathogens and allow the endogenous microorganisms to recover.

To help your dog get the best probiotic protective coverage, rather than opportunistic pathogens, use a wide-spectrum probiotic, containing required amounts of the widest selection possible of different species. No one probiotic species is the best for every requirement or need and it can take 10 to 14 days for probiotics to fully activate in your dog’s system. More concentrated forms begin working within a few hours.

An effective probiotic is Lactobacillus acidophilus, meaning "acid lover". It’s a lactic acid-producing bacterium that lives in the stomach. It prefers acid and will secrete enough of its own acid to maintain a pH that is uncomfortable for many opportunistic pathogens. Other probiotics prefer the less acidic environs of the large intestine, and will successfully pass through the stomach and continue to the colon. There are always some probiotic microorganisms that succumb to the extreme conditions in the stomach, and that is why initial doses should be higher. The mechanisms are not completely understood, but probiotics act as regulators of the intestinal microflora, as a source of digestive enzymes, and as a positive stimulant to the immune system.

Giving probiotics to your dog helps produce natural antibiotics, which fight harmful bacteria. Probiotics benefit the dog’s digestion of food, and aid in absorption of nutrients, antioxidants, and iron from food digested. Probiotics can help your dog with food intolerance while aiding in absorption of B vitamins, biotin and folic acid. Probiotics for dogs assist in controlling the growth of yeast, regulating hormone levels, stimulating the immune system, reducing inflammation and increasing energy levels.

Buying from a distributor or retailer, do you really know what you are getting?

Storage and handling of probiotics for your dog influences the actual quantity of viable microorganisms consumed. The package you buy may have had the CFU (colony forming units) of the various organisms listed on the label when it left the manufacturer, but are they there in the same amounts when your dog gets the probiotic? The most effective probiotics are the freshest ones that spend the least time away from the manufacturer.

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